An Eye for Detail: S/ M/ L Studios Define Craft

A defining characteristic of architects is that they care about the way a building comes together. Making sure that various elements are statically and functionally sound is a primary concern, but how these elements relate to each other aesthetically is a powerful motivator for those who love to design. Many of them obsess over construction details that few would notice, or draw a building section over and over that people outside the studio may not understand. There is a cultivation of skill that reveals an architect’s deep appreciation for craft, even though architects seldom work physically with the final product like a traditional craftsman. Can ideas that are drawn, modeled, then executed manifest the value of craftsmanship? Does this scale up as architecture firms grow in size? We approached individuals from small, midsize, and large firms to learn how they define craft in the context of their work and how they integrate it into their daily practice.

Small

Russell Buchanan, FAIA, is founding principal of Buchanan Architecture, an award-winning sole practitioner design firm in Dallas that focuses on diverse projects, mostly houses and custom furniture.

Are completed buildings the only valid way that architects exhibit craftsmanship? Is it enough to simply be meticulous about details?

Architects exhibit craftsmanship in many ways other than completed buildings … but completed buildings are a very good way to validate craftsmanship in architecture. Completed buildings illustrate an architect’s ability to realize work, which means getting projects built. If there’s nothing built, then what’s the point in having details drawn? The best way to exhibit good craftsmanship is to build something well-crafted.

Small Studio: Crafted details within various projects designed by Russell Buchanan, FAIA. /Photos: Jason Franzen

When we describe something as well-crafted, it is often in regard to an object’s physical attributes. Unless they are directly involved in fabrication, architects are limited to generating instructions by means of drawings. Can craft be found in drawings? If so, what attributes count toward a drawing being well-crafted?

Well-crafted drawings are very important to the process of architecture. If architects don’t care about the craftsmanship of their own drawings, how can they expect contractors to care about the craftsmanship of their buildings? A well-crafted drawing doesn’t guarantee a well-crafted building, but it does set the tone for a project and establishes a sense of expectation.  

Small Studio: Crafted details within various projects designed by Russell Buchanan, FAIA. /Photos: Jason Franzen

As the profession migrates from hand-drawing to 3-D computer modeling, will craft matter? Is there such a thing as a well-crafted digital model?

Hopefully, craftsmanship in architecture will always matter. In the future, we may not have drawings or models, but craftsmanship will still be a meaningful part of architecture. Each year, we see beautifully crafted digital models at the [AIA Dallas] KRob Competition, so there’s definitely skill and craftsmanship in the making of 3-D models.

Small Studio: Crafted details within various projects designed by Russell Buchanan, FAIA. /Photos: Jason Franzen

Is drawing by hand still necessary in the way you practice? Does it matter in leading toward a well-crafted result?

I draw by hand every day, but I don’t think it has any impact on whether a project is well-crafted. More important, drawing by hand takes a certain amount of time and thought … which I do think leads toward a well-crafted building. Drawing by hand slows down the process and gives us room to think. It forces us to understand the purpose of each line and, in doing so, makes us see more clearly. Sometimes the best hand drawings are done in the field during construction — on a piece of plywood.

Medium

Paul Merrill, AIA, is a principal at 5G studio, a 45-person firm based in Dallas, with 25 more employees working at offices in Atlanta, Miami, Mexico, and Indonesia. Paul is involved in the design of projects such as the award-winning Winwood residence in Richardson and the mixed-use commercial block at 1217 Main in downtown. His colleague Reid Stone works as a designer at 5G Studio.

As the profession migrates from hand-drawing to 3-D computer modeling, will craft matter? Is there such a thing as a well-crafted digital model?

Paul Merrill: As society advances, we find ourselves facing an increasingly mechanized world where processes are automated and streamlined for the sake of efficiency. However, this works in the architect’s favor because clients are hungry for solutions that are not mass-produced. The desire for uniqueness has increased the value of our services to a society that laments mass-produced goods. Craft is far from obsolete. In fact, it’s more in demand than ever.  

Computers are both a boon and vice to architects. Digital modeling is a powerful tool that gives us the ability to create complex geometries, reduce production/building costs, and expedite the fabrication process. However, it can also lead to architectural solutions that appear flat and without substance or underlying logic because digital space tends to mentally disengage the craftsman and eliminate impromptu design solutions that result from hand-modeling. Eliminating the human aspect of a product by working only in digital space can be debilitating to design. However, timeless beauty will always be achievable when the craftsman is able to establish a dialogue with their materials no matter how digitized the production process becomes. The iterative process becomes an important step to refine a digital model once it is brought into the physical world. The touch of a craftsman’s hand is what humanizes a digital product. Adopting a hybrid workflow between the digital and real world maintains the critical human aspect of a product and generates well-crafted digital models.

Medium Studio: The facade of 1217 Main Street in Dallas is a unique collaboration of 5G Studio Collaborative and artist Jorge Pardo. / Photo: Adam Mork

Can craft be a consideration in any project even if the client doesn’t openly ask for it?

Reid Stone: The crux of the dilemma within architecture regarding craft is if architects provide value. "Are we still able to craft?" If the building is great without requiring a good architect, are great services needed? If the client can guarantee craftsmanship, could a client not do the same with only a builder? The reality is that craft is no longer a “we” activity, and the creation of a building, great or not, is much larger than an architect or client. 

Medium Studio: The facade of 1217 Main Street in Dallas is a unique collaboration of 5G Studio Collaborative and artist Jorge Pardo. / Photo: Adam Mork​

Every stakeholder, from the tradespeople up, must believe in a story unique and relatable to their perspective. The drywall subcontractor does not care about the reflectance value of the TPO roof, neither of them care about a porous concrete sidewalk or use of an FSC-certificated floor, but the drywall, TPO, sidewalk, and floor can all be installed and finished wrong. Selling someone on a story does not mean the GC [l1] telling them to do their job or specifying a finish or product. This storytelling is the architect’s job regardless of project size, budget, complexity, or greatness of the design.

Within the sphere of construction, the architect touches almost everyone, and since the architect does not perform the work, it is their responsibility to personally craft each narrative in person. By investing every stakeholder on a project[l2] , everyone will have pride in their craftsmanship. Crafting a great building is a commitment of passion from a team to create something better than what has been. 

(P.S.: The time of the Ayn Rand architect has passed; we should all be very happy.)

Large

Cory Brugger is a Los Angeles-based architect and chief technology officer at HKS, one of the world’s largest architecture firms with almost 1,400 employees, with 600 of them in Dallas. He oversees the development of digital and fabrication tools that HKS is increasingly using in the design of numerous large projects.

In the context of your own practice, how do you define craft? Does it have to do with a set of actions, or is it more about an attitude toward the work?

For HKS, craft is a focus of design thinking. Whether we are designing projects, developing specifications, or planning a budget, there is an underlying focus on providing value to all project stakeholders. This requires that we approach every task as a new exploration, crafting a response that is unique to the context and the intended outcomes. This process allows us to maximize the potential of each project, realizing benefit to our clients, the community and the environment.

Large Studio: Digital craftsmanship is explored within the Kuwait Children’s Hospital, designed by HKS and opening 2020. / Rendering: HKS

It is often said that a great building depends as much on the client as on the abilities of the architects. Is the client the main guarantor of craftsmanship in your projects?

The client is a big part of a project’s success. Too often a client’s focus on reducing soft costs and limiting the initial capital expense rather than concentrating on the long-term investment in a well-designed, beautifully crafted and high performing building. Across the industry, we are seeing clients demand more work for less fee in a compressed schedule, which leads to poor craftsmanship in design and construction. A well detailed and crafted building requires considerable effort throughout design and construction. We see an increase in design quality and craftsmanship when clients are engaged and invested in the design process. In practice, we are aiming to balance scope, quality, budget and schedule while striving to increase value and long-term benefit to our clients, the community, and the environment. Success requires the client’s leadership in defining and maintaining the specific goals of each project. A sophisticated and strong client will always provide the context for the architect to develop and craft a response that exceeds the origin goals of the project.

Large Studio: Digital craftsmanship is explored within the Kuwait Children’s Hospital, designed by HKS and opening 2020. / Rendering: HKS

 

Julien Meyrat, AIA, is a senior designer at Gensler.